Today's show is a masterclass in human-centered publicity. I speak with Seale Ballenger, who is the Publicity Director at Disney Publishing Worldwide. He has worked with legendary writers, and shares his experience of what publicity looks like within the publishing industry. He has worked within Random House, Simon and Schuster, HarperCollins and many other publishers. What Seale shares isn't just useful, but truly inspiring. 

In this week's episode of The Creative Shift podcast, I talk to comedian, author, and speaker Nina G. She walks us through the moment when she made a profound creative shift in her life: "I was allowing people to talk instead of me. I cleaned house and started a new life." In this interview, we talk about the details of how she made that shift, how she pursued comedy, wrote her upcoming memoir, and we dig into her creative process.

In this episode of The Creative Shift with Dan Blank, I speak to Tim Calkins, Clinical Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. We discuss the cornerstones of marketing and his experience in launching his latest book: "How to Wash a Chicken - Mastering the Business Presentation." We dig into his book launch strategy, what worked, what didn't, and what he will do differently next time. 

I'm happy to announce the new name for this podcast: The Creative Shift with Dan Blank. Last week I asked for your feedback, and was blown away by all of the response I received. In this episode, I reflect on what I heard from you, and what you can expect in this podcast moving forward. 

It occurred to me that even though I started this podcast back in 2012, and have published more than 60 episodes, I never properly launched it. In todays episode I reflect on what this podcast is, why I do it, and where it is going. And I ask for your help in that process. 

In today's podcast, I dig into a book launch case study with author Dr. Beth Ricanati. Last year she released her book, Braided: A Journey of a Thousand Challahs, and we dig into the entire process of writing, publishing, and promoting the book. When I asked her to summarize the book launch, she said: "It was so wonderfully overwhelming."

Today I share my interview with Emma Dryden, who in the course of her career has edited more than 1,000 books for children and young readers. She spent more than 25 years working in traditional publishing as an editor and publisher, working within Simon & Schuster and Random House. A decade ago, she founded her own company, drydenbks, where she is a children’s book editorial and publishing consultant. We dig into every aspect of her career, but the part that really touched me is how she describes the massive creative shift in her career. At that moment, she asked herself a simple question that changed everything: “What could that look like?” when dreaming of her next act. You can find Emma at http://drydenbks.com.

In this conversation with New York Times Bestselling Author Joseph Finder, we dig into the value of a writer connecting with their audience, how he got his agent and made writing his full-time career, his experience having his books turned into major motion pictures, and what his creative process looks like today. I loved how he underscored the incredible power that writers have: "It takes one person to write a book. To make a movie it takes 500." His new thriller, Judgement, hits stores later this month.

In today's episode, I share specific strategies to define goals for your creative work, and practices to actually achieve them. If you feel like you have hit a plateau with your craft or are in a rut, these are the steps I would recommend you take to create momentum. 

Today I'm excited to share my interview with New York Times bestselling author Thomas Greanias. What jumped out at me the most was his advice to writers, and how they have a power that they often don't fully understand. Unlike screenwriters and filmmakers in Hollywood, writers have greenlight authority on their own ideas, and also have final cut. He encourages you to use that power. 

For 25 years, I failed at learning how to play the guitar. One year ago I set a goal for myself: finally learn how to properly play the guitar by practicing every single day for a year. Today I want to share what that process has taught me about what it takes to establish a creative habit, reach your goals, and share your work. The insights below be applied to any creative craft, including writing. In the podcast, I mention my Creative Shift Mastermind, which you can find here: http://wegrowmedia.com/mm

Today I talk with author and book coach Jennie Nash. She shares some inspiring stories, and super practical insights about what it takes to write, publish, and ensure your work truly has an impact on readers. She runs Author Accelerator where her team of coaches provide accountability, feedback and support to writers. Oh, and Jennie is kind of a genius. 

Three years ago I stopped teaching online courses. Today I want to talk about why that is, and what I think does work for writers and artists who want to truly move ahead with their craft and their career. In the episode I mention my Creative Shift Mastermind group: http://wegrowmedia.com/mm

On the surface, one would think that Jessica Strawser was perfectly placed to easily become a novelist. She was the Editorial Director of Writer's Digest magazine -- someone who had incredible connections in the publishing world, and understood it inside and out.

But her reality is different than the fairy tale that we tell ourselves about how a writer succeeds.

Today, we are going to dig into her creative shift to becoming a full-time author. I can't even express to you how excited I am to share my interview with her, it is filled with insights and inspiration that will help you on your own path in your writing life.

You can listen to the podcast by clicking 'play' below, or in the following places:

• iTunes
• Google Play
• Spotify
• Stitcher

Here are some highlights from our conversation:

• She describes her early days of attempting to write a novel: "I was the queen of having things that I started, and then would lose interest in them really quickly. I had so many false starts. I never stuck with it."
• She developed a serious writing habit once she was married, had a full-time job and kids. I loved her response when she was thinking back on her youth, "I think back on all those nights where it was just me, in my apartment, with a bottle of wine, and I squandered it. I would start half a chapter and then watch Allie McBeal reruns."
• What changed for her: "Wanting to be a writer is not the same thing as having a story that you want to tell. I don't think I had a story that I felt compelled to tell"
• On writing her first novel: "I rewrote that thing for six years, and it never sold. But I learned so much while I was doing that."
• To my surprise, she purposefully didn't use any of her connections that she had through Writer's Digest. In fact, she did the opposite! She hid her writing from everyone around her and purposefully submitted to agents that she did NOT know, instead of agents she did know. She described it as "a completely backwards approach."
• She spent half a year submitting it to agents, and when she got a 'revise and resubmit' request from one agent, this is what she did: "I opened up a brand new document and I rewrote the entire novel. I took about 9 months to do that. Then he signed me on the revision."
• She did sign with that agent. He started shopping it, "I slowly collected rejections on that novel for 18 months. While I collected those, I wrote another novel." This is such a reminder of the sometimes glacial pace of a writing career.
• When that book failed to sell, this is how she describes her situation: "I had two novels and no agent. I actually thought about stopping -- taking a break. It was really exhausting. I thought, maybe I should put this dream on hold for awhile."
• When she signed with a new agent, they decided to not seek publication on Jessica's first novel, and instead she went out with the second novel. "She sold it in less than two weeks in a pre-emp. It was the exact same manuscript that had been sitting on my hard drive for months while I tried to figure out what to do with it."
• Her story of when she received the news of her book getting sold is the embodiment of how complex it is to raise a family, work a full-time job, and have a writing career on the side. I asked her about the moment when she found out her book sold to a publisher. She says, "Do you want to know reality? My daughter was one, she had fallen and tripped the carpet at daycare, and knocked out one of her four teeth. I get this call from daycare that my daughter knocked out a tooth and is gushing blood. I flew out of work, frantically calling dentists. She was okay, but she was just going to not have a tooth in that spot for about 8 years. When I got home, I was cleaning blood out of shirt, and my agent called and said, "What did I catch ya doin?" She then told me we had an offer. It was one of those days that you are caught up in the disaster that is your every day life. [To celebrate], we were going mattress shopping that night, so we bought a king instead of a queen. That was our splurge. It was very glamorous."
• We talk about her experience in marketing promoting her books. "No one should underestimate the amount of attention and time that goes into marketing and publicity. It is a big undertaking and it is as much a part of the career as the actual writing is."
• She describes this time when she was publishing one book, writing another, and working a full-time job as: "I think I was existing on the smallest possible amount of sleep that anyone possibly could."
• When she left her full-time job to become a full-time author, it was not easy to shift her creative process from being an evening writer to a daytime writing. "It took me 6 hours to do what I used to do in 2 hours. I used to be able to use my day to prepare myself for those 2 hours that I was going to write after my kids were in bed. I would know what chapter I was going to work on, I would jot down notes, I would dictate to myself in my car on my commute. I would psyche myself up for it. I lost that [when I had all day to write.] I ended up clicking around on Facebook and the next thing you know, it's lunchtime. I do have self-discipline, but I had to recalibrate, and there was a learning curve."
• Her advice for writers: "One of the things I would see so often at Writer's Digest is that so many people just want someone to tell them the way, the steps to take, the path to follow to get it done. But it really is different for everyone. Even if you head down a wrong path for awhile, that is what needs to happen to get you to where you are trying to go. It's smart to be aware of how other people find their way, and how it usually works, while at the same time, don't get too get caught up in it. You can get distracted by what other people are doing and if you aren't careful, you can spend the whole day feeling like you are doing it wrong. But there is no such thing as doing it wrong. If you just keep at it -- persistence is huge. You have to be bullheaded about believing in yourself, while also being open-minded and flexible in how you get it done.

You can find Jessica in the following places:

jessicastrawser.com

Her books on Amazon

Twitter: @jessicastrawser

Facebook

Today I’m excited to share my interview with author Elizabeth Spann Craig. Okay, let’s get the impressive stats out of the way first:

• She writes 3.5 books per year.
• She has written 27 books since 2009.

She share so much amazing advice about how she writer, managers her publishing career, and attends to her author platform.

I'm so excited to share my interview with author and editorial director of WriterUnboxed.com, Therese Walsh. In our chat, we dig into:

• How she co-founded a blog that turned into a thriving online community for writers.
• The realities of the book publishing business, and how to develop the right mindset to navigate it.
• What she has learned from the writing community through years of engaging with thousands of writers.

You can find Therese in the following places:

• theresewalsh.com
• writerunboxed.com
• The Moon Sisters
• The Last Will of Moira Leahy
• Author in Progress
• Twitter: @ThereseWalsh

Today, author Cathey Nickell shares details of how -- two years after release date -- she has ensured her book gets in front of readers, and has sold thousands of copies. Cathey is the author of Arthur Zarr's Amazing Art Car, and she recently finished her 50th school visit, presenting the book to kids. Everything that Cathey shares illustrates the practical aspects of how how to ensure your book finds new readers. 

In this podcast I speak to illustrator, author, and art director Samantha Hahn about why -- and how -- she made a huge creative shift in her career. How, even though she had a thriving career as a full-time illustrator and author, she wanted to expand her work and her creative process. She shares details about exactly how she redefined her professional identity, got early clients, found collaborators, and infused her daily creative process with energy and inspiration.

Last Spring, I spoke to writer and artist Meera Lee Patel, and the conversation was filled with so many practical tips and deep wisdom that I reached out to her again to record a second podcast. To my total delight, she said yes! So three huge things jumped out at me in this conversation that I think will deeply resonate with writers:

1. I asked her if she gets feedback from her audience that discourages her to pursue new artistic paths and she replied that she does and the result is: "You feel do discouraged that it makes you not like that work that you made. The internet and social media makes you addicted to attention, and it really warps your sense of value. They become really twisted, where you’ve lost your values, and they are being dictated by all these people that you’ve never met and probably will never meet. Then I know that most of these people don’t know what they like because they are being told what to like by other people, and society and culture. It’s almost like everything is a total facade.
2. “I rely on my creative community to feel sane. To know that I’m not crazy, and to know that other people are having the same experience and feeling the same way, and they also feel stuck, or feel scared about losing an audience and not being able to support themselves with work if they change. Community helps you not feel isolated and alone. That is what I rely on community for, along with encouragement. To feed off of their bravery and know that we are doing it together, and that they feel I’m doing the right thing and not making this big scary decision all by myself.”
3. When I asked if work (commissions, licensing, business opportunities) comes to her, or if she has to seek it out, she replied, “I don’t have anybody emailing me asking me to do things for them. I reach out constantly. I used to reach out to just anybody, because I was like, ‘I just need work, and I need to pay the bills. I’m lucky enough that I get to be a little choosier now. I’m like, ‘What are my dream companies? Where does my work fit in? Do I believe in them and their products? Is my work ready.” Then I reach out to them, but nobody emails me back, ever.” When I asked her how she reached out to these companies, she explained how she just goes to the contact page on their websites, and uses that. She explains what she pitches. “I pitch myself so often, where I forget to where I reach out to, so it’s nice because I get to forgo that feeling of rejection.” “When I get rejected from somebody, and I feel really bummed about it, I have a rule, that for every rejection that I feel down about, I have to reach out to three more companies or people. That action of forging ahead anyway makes me feel like I am doing something to change the current state that I’m in. So that action changes my attitude, and I always feel better knowing that I already tried again.” For every 10 people I reach out to, I probably get three responses, and usually all three are rejections. But sometimes one is positive and two are rejections. Or two are rejections and one is ‘not right now, but try again in a year.’ So the acceptance rate is very very low. And I think that is across the board for most people, unless they are highly coveted, just because there are so many artists out there, and there is so much amazing work, that I don’t think companies and brands could possibly hire everybody. I don’t take it personally anymore, but it took awhile to get there.” What’s amazing to me is even with all of this rejection, this is the work it takes to create a full-time career as an artist. This process actually works! “I do know that people look at me and they are like, ‘I would like to be where you are,’ and people do not come to me, even now. And really any work I’ve gotten has been from me reaching and saying, ‘Hey, can I do this with you.”

Other topics we dig into:

• Her assessment of her most recent book launch, and how it was different from her previous two book launches. Hint: this launch was filled with much less pressure and anxiety for her.
• How she thinks about her role as a writer and the purpose of a book. She describes it as “I see myself as drawing a door. Now you walk through it and you see what is on the other side. I’m making a door appear for you.”
• Her struggling in balancing creating and marketing.
• How she sums up the importance of talking about your books: “Sharing with one person or five people or ten people is a start.”
• Her thoughts on how having an audience is just as difficult — if not more so — than having no audience at all: “Everybody wants a large audience, but with that comes responsibility, pressure, and expectation."
• The challenges she has in managing social media, and dealing with expectations when people reach out to her for deep interactions.
• The ways she sustains herself as a full-time writer and illustrator.
• The different revenue streams that support her career as a full-time artist, and how she is adjusting them.
• How she manages anxiety around her career.

You can find Meera Lee Patel in the following places:

• My first interview with Meera from back in Spring of 2018
• meeralee.com
• Instagram: @meeraleepatel
• Her latest book: Made Out of Stars
• Her Etsy shop
• Her other books

In my interview with writer Sean McCabe, we dig into the reality of what it means to run your own business. He shares the behind the scenes decisions that have sometimes cost him tens of thousands of dollars, or more than a year of his time going down a path that he later reversed. Sean shares something amazing, and highly useful in the process: how he runs his business based on a set of clear principles. This was an amazing conversation -- if you are a writer or artist looking to develop a career that feels meaningful and fulfilling, I think you are going to love it. You can find Sean at: 

• https://seanwes.com
• His book: Overlap
• His podcast
• His membership program
• Instagram
• Twitter

I first met Robert Fieseler, who I know as Bobby, when he was working at an ad agency. Then, to my astonishment, I saw him make some big changes in his life. Even though he was on a great career track in advertising, he began taking classes in the evenings and weekends to get his journalism degree. Then, he quit his well-paying job in order to have the time to write a book proposal.

In our discussion today, we dig into every detail of that story, of how Bobby risked it all to make a creative shift from a full-time job to a full-time author. In the process, he redefined himself in many profound ways.

When I invited him to do this interview, he said that this is stuff that no one else wanted to talk to him about. But this is ALL I care about because day in and day out, I work with writers and artists who want to realize their creative vision, and need to hear the stories of others who have leaned into that challenge.

In our chat, we track his career path:

• He started out as a bookseller.
• He then turned his experience writing poetry into a career in writing advertisements for brands such as Dominos pizza, Philip Morris and many others.
• Why he went back to get his degree in journalism.
• The reasons he made a huge career switch, even as he moved up the corporate ladder. He left his job to pursue an opportunity and spent his time working on a book proposal , with no guarantee that it would turn into anything. Everyone told him this was the worst thing he could possibly do from a financial or career perspective.
• How he got his first big book deal and the process for creating that book.
• The reception to the book and the difference in his life since being a published author.

You can hear the moment in the interview when Bobby describes getting the offer for a book deal -- he gets emotional just talking about it. That is how big that moment is for a writer. He says, "It made me feel like I was real. I had hidden my aspirations for a long time."

He also talks about fears he has had as an author, and we end with a big discussion on impostor's syndrome for writers.

Bobby is the author of Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation.

You can find him at:
https://www.rwfieseler.com

https://twitter.com/wordbobby 

In today's episode, I take you through the three steps of my Creative Shift process. I have honed this after working with hundreds of writers who wanted a sense of clarity to move their creative work to the next level and truly reach people. I also talk about my next Creative Shift Mastermind program, which begins October 1: http://wegrowmedia.com/mm

I recently spoke to author, book blogger, and school librarian Travis Jonker about three aspects how he became an author:

• How he got his literary agent through his blog.
• How he developed courage to share his creative work by “failing in public” by creating a series of zines that he would mail to friends and colleagues in the book world.
• A clever idea he had for marketing his new book that riffed off those zines: an illustrated comic that told the behind-the-scenes story of his book, which would be mailed directly to people those who may appreciate the book.

For each instance, Travis was clear about sharing something that was unique and represented what he cared about most; He did so consistently (his blog is more than 10 years old, and in that entire time, he posted 15-30 posts per month); and he found ways to connect with his audience in way that were personal and meaningful.

You can listen to the entire interview by clicking ‘play’ below or on iTunes:

Travis’ kidlit book blog, 100 Scope Notes, can be found here, and please check out his upcoming book: The Very Last Castle. Travis also has a podcast where he takes you behind the scenes in children’s literature called The Yarn.

You can find Dan Blank at:
http://wegrowmedia.com 
Be the Gateway: http://a.co/evyrsjw 
https://www.instagram.com/DanBlank
https://twitter.com/danblank

Author Allison Leotta made an incredible career transition. After spending 12 years as a federal prosecutor who specialized in sex crimes, domestic violence, crimes against children, she became an full-time novelist. She now has five books published, one being prepared for publication, and another being written.

In our conversation we dig into her incredible career path and cover a lot along the way! Some highlights:

How She Got Her Literary Agent

So many authors hide their writing from their friends and family. But Allison shows how your existing network is one of the most powerful assets you have. She found her literary agent by reaching out to a former college classmate. That classmate introduced Allison to her agent, who signed her. Allison says that the writing community is incredibly generous, kind, and welcoming.

Why Writing a Novel is Harder Than Law School

She said this of writing her first book "Writing the novel was the hardest thing I've ever done in terms of self-discipline. I went to law school, I've climbed mountains, I've run marathons, but the discipline that it took to keep going [on writing the novel] for two years, is the biggest accomplishment. Because there is just such a temptation to sleeping in." She gave up working out and TV for two years for those 2 years while she wrote the first book.

What She Has Learned About the Writing Process

During the writing process for each book, Allison says there is a point where she hits a wall and feels that she can't go on with it. But now she knows that is a part of the process -- a phase you work through. That never goes away no matter how many books you write, you simply learn to work through it.

How being a prosecutor prepared her for being a storyteller:
"I've always loved a good story, and I think there are few jobs that can compete with the amount of fascinating stories you can bring home as a prosecutor. You just see everything."

How She Got Started Writing

"Being a prosecutor,] he things you see are so painful and upsetting, that it really does change your view of the world a little bit. At the same time, there are some real heroes. It was also really inspiring."

She said she started writing her first novel because it was cheaper than therapy. Real life is more complicated, but in a novel she can tie things up in a nice little bow, solving every mystery.

She says, "It was almost a physical need to sit down and write." This is how she got started: "I went up to a little cottage in upstate NY. I had a week, and I was going to write my novel in that week. Not a single word typed that week made it to the novel, but I established momentum. Two years later I had a novel."

A Career Shift Requires Difficult Choices

Allison shared the story of the exact moment when she decided to make a big shift in her career from being a prosecutor to being a writer. The moment she said, "Some choices have to be made here."

You can find Allison in the following places:

• Her books on Amazon
• allisonleotta.com
• Twitter.com: @AllisonLeotta
• Facebook

You can find Dan Blank at:
http://wegrowmedia.com
Be the Gateway: http://a.co/evyrsjw
https://www.instagram.com/DanBlank/
https://twitter.com/danblank 

I invited author/illustrator Lori Richmond to talk about what we wish we knew when we first started in our creative careers.

Both Lori and I made big creative shifts midway through life: we left safe corporate jobs to start our own companies that focus on creative work. In her case, she became a children's author/illustrator. For me, I became a writer who also works with writers and artists.

What we share today is advice we give to people who are looking to jump to the next level in their creative work or in their businesses. we mention our upcoming live workshop in New York City on July 27th: Creative Business Boost (http://wegrowmedia.com/boost). Here you will join Lori, me, and 10 other writers and artists to:

• Get Radical Clarity: What you create and why. You will be reinvigorated and laser focused on your creative vision.
• Find Your True Fans: Who will love your work, why, and how to reach them.
• Create Marketing & Sales Planning: How to market your work, package it, and promote it in a way that feels meaningful and effective.

Thanks!

-Dan

P.S. You can find Lori here. You can also listen to an earlier interview I did with Lori here.